Life-saving appliance.



l. GILBERT.

LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20.1915

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED saw-20,1915.

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ISAAC GILBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS."

: LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern-l zen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State'of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements fin Life-Saving Appliances, of which the following 1s a specification. y

My invention relates to improvements 1n life saving appliances,.and hasfor its object, the provision of an improved construe tion of thischaracter arranged and designed to preserve human life in case'of marinedisasters.

The invention consistsin the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will bebest understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part ofthis specification, and in which, i a

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a buoyant suit embodying my invention,inner portions thereof being shown in elevation, Fig. 2, a viewillustrating the form of hand cover employed in the suit, Fig. 3, asection taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4, a vertical. section takenat right angles to Fig. 1,

Fig. 5, a horizontal section taken through the body portion of the suit,and Fig. 6, an enlarged vertical section taken through a head pieceemployed in the suit.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings,comprises an outer waterproof garment member .7 shaped to. fit the humanform and preferably made of cloth treated with rubber to render the sameabsolutely water-tight. The garment is provided at its top with anopening sufiiciently large to permit of the same being put' on the humanform and the edges of this opening are provided with a draw string 8 bymeans of which the same may be drawn about a buoyant head piece 9preferably formed of cork andprovided on its exterior surface with anannular groove 10 for the reception of said draw string, as indicated. Arubber ring 11 is secured at one side to the suit 7 in position to passover the head piece 9 and serve as a means for further sealing thejuncture with the suit 7. As best'shown in Fig. 6, the head piece 9 ismade concave on its under side to fit over the head of the wearer insubstantially cap-form and head pads 12 and 13 in the form of annularrings of rubber hose br the like are positioned in Specification ofLetters Iatent.

Patented Apr-.25, iaie.

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial no. 51305.

i I i 1 saidrecess to. rest upon the head, said rings Be it known thatI, ISAAC GILBnRr, a'c1t1-" being provided with notches 14 in their uppersides to permit of the free circulation of air through said recess. Acentral perforation 15 leads upwardly from said recess through the headpiece and an upstanding flexlble tube or pipe'l6leads from saidperforation. The tube 16 is provided at its upper e'nd with a springheld valve or cover 1 whlch is normally held in open position and asprmg catch 18 is provided at one side to engage said valve and hold thesame in closing position. Catch 18 is connected by means of a cord 19witha lever 20 by means of which the valve 17 may be released and airfreely admitted to the interiorof the suit throughthe tube 16.] By thisarrangement, it will be observed that when the suit is floating inthewater in upright position, the tube 16 will normally project abovethe waves on the water, thus permitting of the free entry of air to theinterior of the suit and excluding the water. Incase the occupant of thesuit is compelled .tojump'from an elevation into the water or for otherreason is compelled to be temporarily sub merged, the valve 17 may beclosed during such submergence and then readily opened when the occupantreturns to the surface of the water.

Thehead piece 9 is provided withbranch perforations 21 leading from thecentral perforation 15 and a flexible ear piece 22 has its ends securedin said branch perforations and isarranged to pass over the ears andunder the chin of the wearer, said ear piece bein provided on its innerside with ear mu s 23 for-encompassing and protecting the ears of thewearer against cold. Air passages 24; are also provided on car pieces 22in open communication with branch pas! sages 21, said passages 24 beingprovided with mouth openings 25 adjacent the mouth of the wearer inposition to permit of free circulation of air thereto, said ear piecesand passages being formed of slightly stiif rubber or similar materialhaving suflicient flexibility to permit of the same being readily placedin position under the chin of the wearer and sufficient stifi'ness tomaintain the passages 24 open for the free circulation of air. Whistletubes 26, are arranged in the passages 24' and protrude through themouth openings 25 in operative relation 'with the mouth of the wearer,said whistle locatedin the tube 16 and communicating at itsupper endwith. a whistle 28 by means of which signals may be given byv thewearer. The upper leg and lower waist portions of vthe suit 7 areprovided with buoyant pad- 7 din 29 inclosedby awaterproof casing 30' ass own, said paddingbeing comparatively light around the leg portionsbutmaterially I heavier around dicated. a. Abuoyant inner garment 31which 1s sub'.-

stantially' in the form of a vest openable at the front and providedwith suitable fasten arm".portions,f the arm ings 32,'is arranged withintheouter gar- .ment 7 "andis' adaptedto be fitted around the torso ofthe wearer after the lower por-' V tion of garment 7 has been puton'butbefore the upper portion has'been placed in opera- 'tiveyposition.The garment 31 is provided with buoyant padding 33 around thebodyportion and padding, 34 around the lower portions thereof beingp'rovide'd with gloves 35 fitting the hand portions 36 oftheouter'garment 7 which are 7 of thejgarment. 31 forthe reception ofan.

also in the form. of gloves; {The *hand portionsj 36.01? theoutergarment'Z are provided on ftheir1backs with websj37 extendingbetween ithefjfingers to assist the occupant in .imming orfpropellingh1mself through the water.-.

[5A double aras is mad at one side electric flash" light and a waterbottle, and

another .Eocket 39 is arranged at the other side of gt e garment'31'forthe reception of bread :forjthe use of theoccupant.

. Theleg a'nd waist portions of the outer suit 7 are provided with aheavy lining 40 or inner suit of wool or' other non-heat con-;

ducting-material to preserve'the warmth. of the oecupant. Reinforcingbands or 'belts 41,42jand 43am placed-respectivelyaround the waist,,chest and neck portions of the outer's'uit and a looped rope 44: issecured to the band 41 to facilitate rescue of the occupant. i Glasscovered eye-openings 45am arranged inthe suit 7 opposite the eyes of theoccupant to permit of observation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carryin my linvention into'eflect, this'is' capable ovariation and modification without depart:

ingf from'the spirit of the invention. I,

it V therefore, do not wishto be limited to the precise details'ofconstruction set forth, but

flexible waterproof garment open'at the top,

the leg and waist portions of saidsuit being padded buoyant material; aninner I the waist portions, as in-' buoyant garment arranged to fitabout the human torso; and means for sealing the opening in said outersuit, substantially as described.

s 2. A buoyant suit comprising an outer flexible waterproof garment openat the top; a head piece provided with means for admitting air; an innerbuoyant garment arranged to fit'about the human torso; and means forsealing the opening in said outer suit, substantially as described.

3. A buoyant suit comprising an outer flexible waterproof garment openat the top,"the leg and waist portions of said suit being padded withbuoyant material; a head said opening being provided with drawstrings; ahead piece provided with means for admitting air and an annular. grooveon its outer side to receive the edges of the opening in said'outergarment, there beinga central perforation extending through said headpiece; a resilient ring secured to said outer suit ad acent the openingtherein and adapted toencompass said head piece and seal said outer suit'thereagainst; an up standing flexible'tube communicating with j theopening in said headpiece; a sealing valve for said tube; flexible earpieces secured to said head piece and arranged to coverjthe ears andpass under the chin of the wearer, said ear pleces being provided withair passages communicating with the perforation through said head piece;and means for rendering said suit buoyant, substantially as described.

5. A buoyant suit comprising an outer flexible waterproof garment openat the top, said opening being provided with draw strings; a head pieceprovided with means for admittin air and anannular groove on its outersi e to receive the edges of the opening in said outer garment, therebeing a central perforation extending through said head piece; aresilient ring secured to said outer suit adjacent the opening thereinand adapted to encompass said head piece and sealsaid outer suitthereagainst; an upstanding flexible tube communicating with the openingin said head iece; a sealing valve for said tube; flexib e ear piecessecured tosaid head pieceand arranged to cover the ears and passunder'the chin of the wearer, said ear pieces being provided with airpassages communicatin with the perforation through said head plece;buoyant paddin about the upper leg and waist portlons 0 said outer suit;an inner garment in the form of. a vest openable at the piece providedwith means for admitting a front and provided about the body and lowername to this specification in the presence of arm portions with buoyantpadding; retwo subscribing witnesses. inforcing bands about the waist,chest and neck portions of said outer suit; and a rope ISAAC GILBERT. tsecured in loops about the waist band, sub- Witnesses: i

stantially as described. JOSHUA R. H. Poms,

In testimony whereof I have signed my HELEN F. Lmcrs.

